Changing the face of body sculpting

ORLANDO BENJAMIN JR is not your ordinary serviceman. The 38-year-old father of three splits his time between his nine-to-five government job, which he has held for 15 years and helping women transform their bodies.

For the past two years, Benjamin has been perfecting his craft as a body contouring specialist. He started in 2022 by researching and reaching out to international manufacturers to develop his own detox tea and other supplements geared towards weight loss.

Through that journey, he discovered body sculpting and has since expanded into offering services such as laser hair removal, cavitation, radio frequency, laser lipo, vacuum therapy and emsculpt, among others.

A quick glance at his Instagram business page, Contour Dimensioning by OBJ, shows him performing various procedures for women on intimate body parts. Speaking with Newsday at his Sellier Street, St Augustine, practice, he said his focus is strictly on business and helping women and men who need assistance losing stubborn fat.

“After selling detox products, expanding into cavitation and cosmetic procedures came naturally. Now I love it, I love seeing my client's body transform and knowing I played a part in helping people.”

Benjamin said he has always valued self-care and believes both men and women enjoy it, despite the taboo surrounding men and self-care.

“I think there is this perception that if men take an interest in their appearance, they're either vain or not manly enough. That is simply not true. I have seen my service make a difference in both men and women's lives.”

He trained in body sculpting and other body-enhancing procedures at the School of Advanced Esthetics in south and AJ's Body Concept in Curepe. He said he has maintained relationships with both trainers and describes himself as always learning and growing in his craft.

He said his goal is to stay abreast of industry standards and new methods. He acknowledged that there are very few men in the industry, saying men are "very rare."

“I see it as providing a service for somebody and making them happy. It’s also an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face. That is my joy.”

Despite being a straight man and the intimate nature of some procedures he performs, such as vaginal laser hair removal, he says he has no difficulty getting and keeping clients.

Benjamin said women make up about 85 per cent of his clientele.

“Women welcome it. I hardly get men, when men reach out, it is usually for cavitation.”

Cavitation is is a non-invasive treatment that uses high-frequency sound waves to break down stubborn fat cells.

Although he is single, he says he maintains professionalism with his clients because his reputation is of utmost importance to him.

“I don't view it as anything sexual. At the end of the day, this is a profession just like anything else in life. Discipline and respect for others are my core values.”

He said his most in-demand service from women is laser therapy. Benjamin began taking clients over the past year and he said his only major issue was at first not understanding the process involved in importing large and expensive machines, which cost him thousands of dollars.

“It was an expensive learning curve. Also, I didn't used to take a deposit, and sometimes people wouldn’t show up or call. Now, I take a deposit.”

So, what is his advice to other men wanting to enter the industry?

“Go for it! You should be very open-minded, disciplined and respectful. It's a nice field.”

Chuckling to himself, he said when he first started, his friends joked that he was "just looking for women." But now they see his drive and understand his passion for his work and it’s no longer a topic.

When asked about the profitability of his business, Benjamin Jr explained that while he is still getting there, he is not far from recouping his investment of roughly $80,000 on equipment, with the most expensive machine costing about US$1,600.

Benjmain said he retains his clients because he provides a comfortable and professional experience.

“I like to laugh and talk, so I make you comfortable. That’s the feedback I get from my clients. They feel comfortable and not threatened.”

His hopes for the future are to open his own spa and add massage therapy to his services.

“I am going to start training so I can start offering massages as well.”